It was a 1 hour and 15 minute flight to Milan ... perhaps 60euro.
Pippa, an old friend from New Zealand, not seen in 5 years, was there waiting for me in the arrivals hall in Milano. It was so good to see this woman who knew me before I went wandering in a serious other-side-of-the-world way. We negotiated the bus to Central Station in Milano, then the 2 hour train to Genova and voila, I was back in this place that has surely stolen my soul.
The apartment door opened with the key Paola had given me and she talked me through turning on the hot water via a phone call where I am sure that I exuded a simple deep happiness about returning. I walked to the supermarket, successfully navigated supplies, then Pippa and I had one of those fabulous pizzas for dinner later that night ... amid much belly-laughter and that delicious silliness that persists between old friends despite any passage of time.
Today has been about two cappuccinos, excellent cappuccinos that you surely only find here in Italy.
A divine foccacia breakfast - where the plain and the onion foccacia turned up on our table, with something I don’t know the name of but we both loved.
Photos and stories to follow, as this forno is surely one of the best fornos anyplace.
My new wifi cafe is a vegetarian restaurant just along the street from where I am staying and I couldn’t resist talking to the lovely people who work there. Photographs and words to follow on this truly excellent cafe. He introduced me to the farinata guy along the road, and I will post photographs and stories next week sometime.
I think it is well-known that I am in love with a hilltop view here, the one out at Boccadasse and I took Pippa to visit with it today. She’s a beach-lover and hilltop sitter like me and we talked for a long time, photographs to follow of how it was up there on the lookout after drinking limoncello at the bar in the old fishing village below.
We returned to the city, visited my favourite bookshop and then came back via the supermarket and farinata shop for our dinner supplies.
It’s hot here, and just so very beautifully Italian. I’m never sure that I will find the strength required to leave however ... I have more than a few days here to wrap up the Genova section. Bear with me while I get those photographs and tidy up the interviews collected, find the new ones ... and then, well, you can join me from your place over there and visit the city of Genova with me.
Ciao!